*StevieT's Guide to Moving a Tank*

[StevieT]

+1

 

Take all the water our drain only to keep the sand wet. I move a tank once and threw the sand away, second time kept the sand. I rinsed the crap out of the sand the second time before setting up and believe it can be a waste of your valuable time when setting back up.

 

With sloshing and the risk it isn't worth it to keep the tank somewhat full. Not to mention the weight.

[blasterman]

I tend to move a lot lately, and I had to make a choice between giving up the hobby or making my tank easy to migrate to a new home, apt, etc.

 

Some compromises I made:

 

- Smaller tanks. No piece of gear I can't easily carry up several flights of stairs.

- Bare bottom tanks. Perhaps this is the most obvious and cuts tear down and set-up in half.

- No piece of rock that can't fit in a small cooler.

[fewskillz]

BB tanks are a breeze to move. Very wise choice if you have to move a lot.

[rO.oster]

I rinsed the crap out of the sand the second time before setting up and believe it can be a waste of your valuable time when setting back up.

 

So your saying that rinsing the sand is a waste of time? Or throwing away the sand is a waste?

 

I'm trying to keep the sand, preferably not stir it up as I never have stirred it up to begin with. Are we saying theres no real way to leave the sand layer intact without disturbance? Everything will shift from the move? I'd rather not go in and try to find my randalls shrimp, I think that would be all but impossible unless i am getting it all out of there.

 

So, remove sand or no? Wash sand or no? Thanks for all the advice so far, good stuff here.

[StevieT]

I am happy that I rinsed the sand, it saved me from buying new and saved me from picking out CUC. But it is a time waster.

 

When you move you are on a tight time frame. Meaning the second you break down you can't stop and unless you have other life support, the clock will run out. Main thing is temperature. So the more time you spend doing whatever is "unnecessary" the more you risk your livestock.

 

Now both times I moved I had a huge garbage pail of new water waiting, so I could float corals/fish in the heated new water.

 

Keep in mind a new aquascape takes hours if you want it to look nice, that is where you should budget time.

 

I'm trying to keep the sand, preferably not stir it up as I never have stirred it up to begin with. Are we saying theres no real way to leave the sand layer intact without disturbance?

 

That will be almost impossible. It will shake up enough in transport and turn your water pure brown. If you save the sand a good rinsing is in order. Or simply get new sand.

[fewskillz]

That will be almost impossible. It will shake up enough in transport and turn your water pure brown.

This, and the more water you keep in the tank the worse it will be and the more water you will have 'polluted'.

[rO.oster]

where can I buy the bigger thicker bags to bag up my livestock / corals? (the ones the LFS uses)

 

thanks! movin it this weekend... it will be the last to go.... arrrrg!

[rO.oster]

well, it took roughly 7 hours from start to finish. it wasn't as bad as I thought, though a few things I forgot to prepare for:

 

non abrasive pad to clean inside of glass when everything is drained/removed and you are hosing it out outside.

 

some type of bubble wrap or padding for large modular pieces of liverock w/coral that you are moving in a 5 gallon bucket to prevent shifting (I shattered a monti) it's gonna shift, count on it.

 

reclusive/sneaky livestock that hide in the rockwork, i had both my gobies move with my modular cluster of LR into the bucket (and hopefully my pom pom and a randals shrimp, those guys are MIA)

 

all in all, I think I may sell my tank before the next move! hahaha

[StevieT]

Glad it went well enough. Moving sucks I don't know if I can do it again.

[shaqdan]

I am moving my 29gallon into a 65 gallon this weekend. I appreciate the information in this thread. Of course, now I am wondering on what to do about the sand. Do I keep the current sand, buy new sand, or combine the two since the new tank is more than twice the size of the old tank? Any thoughts/suggestions?

[Canadaeh]

I am moving my 29gallon into a 65 gallon this weekend. I appreciate the information in this thread. Of course, now I am wondering on what to do about the sand. Do I keep the current sand, buy new sand, or combine the two since the new tank is more than twice the size of the old tank? Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

I am looking at doing the same thing, this weekend too. NOT ENOUGH TIME! lol

Have to source a 65, get it drilled, and bolster my stand as i dont think it would hold the extra weight of the double the volume of water and rocks. Move the overflow box from the 28 to the 65, tear down, move and reset. Get some large rubbermaid trash bins so get new water heating and mixing. I also have to get the water from the store to the garbage bin in my car in the 3 buckets I have. It is going to be quite a few trips to the water store and back to fill my buckets. Hopefully home depot can take back the trash cans afterwards as I wont need them both. Im also working afternoons this week so my sleep is all kinds of messed up.

 

As for thick bags, ziploc freezer bags will be my method of attack on this one. and some nice towels fresh from the dryer to keep everybody warm.

 

Luckily I dont really have that much livestock so im not really worried. Rinsing the sand is goint to take forever! and another rubbermaid bin to rinse it in. Any tips on how to remove corals like frogspawn and trumpet coral from the rocks? i have puttied them on to the rocks and last time i tried to move my trumpet coral, i tried to pull it off and it shattered into 4 frags. oh well now i can play with tank placement of the frags.

 

good luck with your move shaqdan and know that you are not alone! I will try to updae on my.... success after the weekend. I will either have a nice new tank, or a bucket of smashed glass. I Hope all goes well.

[shaqdan]

My move was a success (so far). I ended up buying new sand and just adding some of my previous sand. Honestly, I had no idea how to 'rinse' the old sand, so it's a little dirty, but I'll live. I think it went pretty well. Everything seems to be doing pretty good. Zoas are out, toadstool is doing good. I likey.

 

Here's a crappy picture:

 

[StevieT]

Good to hear, looks nice! I just took a rubbermade tote. Had some saltwater left over. Filled the tote with that water, sloshed it around, poured out the nasty water. Repeat until the water comes out cleanish.

[Bat21Bravo]

Thank you StevieT, for a truly excellent guide. I must have read through this thread 30-40 times before I began to plan my own move. Although I was only moving a few blocks, as the Air Force decided to kick me out of the dorms at the ripe old age of 27, it still took me nearly 9 HOURS to complete it.

 

My advice: Plan, Plan, and Plan some more. Have plenty of bags and containers to secure all your corals and living things. I had several Rubber Maid containers (large) and at least 50 bags. Even then I found myself running out of options with the amount of corals I had obtained over the course of 1 1/2 years.

 

Further more, have PLENTY of fresh saltwater available to refill your tank as well as enough to complete several water change. I opted to remove all the sand/oolite I had in the tank prior to the move. I did this for several reasons: first, the oolite was far too fine to run both MJ1200's and a MP-10. Second. the amount of detritus that had accumulated under the rocks was staggering...after removing the rocks and nearly draining the tank, I could smell the decomposition.

 

Plan, Plan, and Plan some more. For 1 1/2 years I had my tank on the counter of my kitchen. Now, that I was moving I had to plan for a new stand for it. I researched the JBJ 28 stand but, was less than impressed. So, I decided that I was going to fabricate something myself. Realizing that several years ago I had relocated from upstate NY to Wyoming, I had neither the tools, nor the facilities to COMPLETELY fabricate something. As such, I began my journey at Home Depot. Within a few minutes I was able to secure a 24X24 cabinet for $7 (it was damaged). Later on, I also bought a 12X12 lazy susan and 2 24X24 Oak plywood panels. After borrowing a drill, I came up with this: (pictures to follow).

 

Before the move FTS.

 

The Mess.

 

Ready to Roll.

 

360 Degree Rotation.

 

Acclimation

[StevieT]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for the additions. I like the acclimation tubs, much better than bags IMO. The one cool think about a move, if you allow the time, is setting up the equipment better than you had before. Since most add over time it is a good change to organize those cords and whatever else runs the tank.

 

I am sorry to hear the Air Force took away your nest

[emc2]

Thanks for the thread. I am moving my 20L this weekend. I will break everything down early Sunday morning. I've read this twice and think I have everything I need.

[StevieT]

Best of luck to you move

[Twilton]

Thank you very much for documenting all this, it has really helped me to settle my nervs about my move. Given some great tips and advice. Thanks again

[kevin_f]

John @ reefcleaners sent me over to this nifty little guide today.

I've been planning this for a few weeks now. I'm moving the tank 26th of May. I actually have off the whole week prior. I will be moving 15mins down the road & I'm able to set things up before hand at the house.(long story short, getting married, moving back in with mother to save money for a house)

 

50g cube w/ 18g sump.

 

My plans so far:

(already at the house)

15g container filled w/ premixed saltwater w/ heater & pump

15g container filled w/ premixed saltwater w/ heater & pump

15g container filled w/ premixed saltwater w/ heater & pump

 

Use 10g tank w/ heater/HOB filter/ air stone for my 3 fish to stay in. 1 melanarus wrasse, 2 b&w clowns

7g bucket w/ heater/pump for LR(possibly just buy a big Tupperware and put the rocks in it)

7g bucket w/ heater/pump for LR

5g bucket

5g bucket

 

Dr Tim's one & only

Battery operated air pump

Changing out my sand with Arag-Alive Fiji pink.

 

Still debating what to put the corals in.

 

side note: I now have an arsenal of jager heaters & maxi jet pumps

[NanoRook]

I'm confused and was wondering if you could clarify what to do with the sand again.

 

Would you buy new sand for the move and throw out the old one?

How do you add the water without getting the sand all turned up in the water?

Do you have to wait for it to settle while everything is in its containers?

[StevieT]

Latest move: Red Sea Max set up since 2007 broke down and transferred into an Innovative Marine Nuvo 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[billdeluz]

i know this is old but crazy awesome right up and amazing work